Psychology of Performance – 32 Nutrition, Depresssion, Alcoholism and Performance

 I ran across some interesting information on the role of niacin, depression, alcoholism and performance at www.doctoryourself.com. It is well documented that depression and/or alcoholism may negatively affect performance across just about any domain one can perform in. In the treatment of depression and alcoholism there are very effective cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy interventions. In addition, exercise and medication may add additional therapeutic effects. The role of nutrition may have further potentiating influence.

According to this site, Bill W., the founder of AA, was successfully treated for depression with 3,000 mg of niacin a day. Unfortunately, this information has not been widely discussed or published in the media. I would be interested to hear from any of you who have used niacin as a means of treating depression or alcoholism and what your results were. Please let us at MINES know.

Have a day filled with mindfulness,

Robert A. Mines, Ph.D.
CEO & Psychologist

ChooseWell: 2012 Webinar Series

Making a Plan and Sticking to it Join us for a Webinar on February 9th  Opening up the quarterly series, we look at the strategies and methods for creating and sustaining real change within ourselves and others. What factors are interfering with your ability to make a change? How can you keep up the energy to keep up with your plan? How do you decide to ChooseWell?   Title: Making a Plan and Sticking to it Date: Thursday, February 9, 2012 Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM MDT   After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.For more information about our webinar series visit our website System Requirements PC-based attendees Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP, 2003 Server or 2000 Macintosh®-based attendees Required: Mac OS® X 10.4.11 (Tiger®) or newerSpace is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/553465122    To unsubscribe click here.

Health inSite: Do We Need Doctors or Algorithms?

Now is a great time to work in the Healthcare industry.  While the changes in the landscape following the Affordable Care Act (and the challenges to the Affordable Care Act) have led to some pretty interesting scrambling to meet “the market,” it has also been fun to see new, emerging voices that have the foresight to begin considering the effect that Health IT can have on our overall well-being as patients.

Today’s inSite highlights a very well-written article (Do We Need Doctors or Algorithms?) that lays out some of the ways in which Healthcare may be changing, be it through our intentional effort or our naturally-occurring social meanderings (I use the Wikipedia article intentionally!).

Consider some of these possibilities with a view of their overall impact on our Healthcare landscape.  While some of these may, at first, seem far-flung, they are quite insightful and not as far off as one might think when you consider what we are already capable of accomplishing with mobile technology as well as data integration and management systems.  While it may be a natural reaction to respond with some concern – how fantastic would it be to have systems that imbue all providers with the confidence and accuracy that a system like the one mentioned in this article could provide.  Then our providers could be really focused on treating the relapse issues that can often creep their way into the patient’s treatment compliance.  It’s very possible that our docs’ roles may be shifting once again from diagnosis to advising to (now) nudging as patients become more empowered and informed to make their own decisions.

Ryan Lucas
Marketing

ChooseWell: January Issue

 

 

 

Welcome to the first installment of our new communication series for 2012: ChooseWell. Rather than sending out a weekly communication like we did in 2011, MINES will be sending out a monthly digest of materials, clips, quizzes, and the like that we have found interesting and hope you will too. Each month will highlight media in Nutrition, Fitness, Interpersonal Development, and Stress Management. Please feel free to forward these on to your co-workers as you see fit. We hope that each month you find these materials helpful in your quest to ChooseWell, every day.

Britney Kirsch
Account Management

Nutrition

How to Read – and Understand! – Food Labels
We all know reading nutrition labels can be a key to healthy eating, but if you don’t know what to look for they may as well be in a foreign language! Let this guide simplify it for you, then try out your new skills on your next grocery store run.For the full guide, click here.

Fitness

Build Your Home Gym on a Budget
If you’re anything like me, dishing out a monthly fee for a gym membership that rarely gets used just isn’t worth it. These tips from U.S. News will help you build an at-home gym for much less. As a bonus, you’ll get to work out from the comfort of your home, and have no more excuses for not wanting to venture out to the gym on a snowy afternoon!View the list here.

InterPersonal

Giving Back
Do winter’s short days and cold temperatures have you down? Instead of hibernating for the season, look for volunteer opportunities in your community to keep you active all winter. Not only will it make you feel great, you’ll be making someone else’s day, too!Search here for opportunities near you.

Stress Relief

Burnout Self-Check
Job burnout can seriously inhibit your work performance, stress levels, and personal satisfaction. To start the new year fresh, take this self-check quiz to see if you are at risk of job burnout. If you need assistance, remember your EAP is here to help!To take the test, click here.

MINES does not warrant the materials (Audio, Video, Text, Applications, or any other form of media or links) included in this communication have any connection to MINES & Associates, nor does MINES seek to endorse any entity by including these materials in this communication. We found them helpful, and hope you do too!

Strategies to Fight Holiday Weight Gain

Strategies to Fight Holiday Weight GainDecember 28, 2011 We might be a little late on the week’s communication but better late than never!Grandma’s cookies came and are now nearly just crumbs in a box, all the hors d’oeuvre filled parties have come and gone and elastic waist bands are adorning plumper mid-sections.If you are anything like me, you have already done all of your gorging for the season, but use this article as a guideline for your New Year’s resolution. After all, the parties, get-togethers and tempting treats will be awaiting all of us in 2012!Happy New Year!   Read more on this topic here…   Britney Kirsch Account Manager

How to Reduce Kids’ Holiday Stress

How to Reduce Kids’ Holiday Stress December 19, 2011  When I first read the title of this week’s communication, I laughed with skepticism. I can’t imagine a child feeling stressed at the holidays. Every child I know counts down to Christmas, as if it’s the greatest day of the year. Reading further into the article, I realized what they meant by “stress.” Stress for me during the holidays is all the planning and preparation that goes into it. As a child, I remember feeling unsettled and I guess you could say “stressed” if we went to bed and forgot to read The Night before Christmas or hadn’t followed any tradition that we had in the years before. After all, it was all of those traditions that I was counting down to. As a child, I spent Christmas in several different household; each of my grandparents, my Mother’s home, my Father’s home, and many of my Aunt’s and Uncle’s homes. Yet, no matter where I was it was those little traditions; making the cookies for Santa, sitting at dinner with family, writing Santa a note, reading The Night before Christmas, that made wherever I was feel like home. And that’s what made me happy.   Read more on this topic here…   Britney Kirsch Account Manager

Make a List, Check it Twice

Visit our Website Past Newsletters Make a List, Check it Twice December 13, 2011   Every year at Christmas, I promise myself to not spend money on presents like I did the year before. I have the best intentions and I put a limit on the amount I will spend on each person. And just as sure as I make the promise, every year my intentions go out the window. This year I have finally decided why this happens. I wait too long to shop. By the time I make it to the mall, I have only a few weeks to shop, wrap, and deliver. So I am always in a panic and I get to the point that I don’t care what it costs, I will buy anything if I can just mark Dad off my list. In fact, I think I have this problem with birthdays too. Okay, I am serious this time; I will not make this mistake next year. I promise to plan ahead. I promise to not overspend. I promise to relax and focus on what the holidays are all about – overeating and family! Read more on this topic here… Britney Kirsch Account Manager

Have A “Reasonably” Happy Holiday Season!

I love the notion of having a “reasonably” happy holiday season. It’s so freeing and realistic. It creates a mindset that actually allows people to enjoy the holidays. Seriously, who could argue against having a reasonably good time as a starting point? Anything above that can go into the “exceeded my expectations” category.

There is a lot of information on suggestions and ways to lessen the stress of the holidays. However, if you don’t take the time to examine your holiday expectations, it’s possible that there will be some frustrations, stressors, and disappointments that cast a wicked spell on your sense of holiday magic.

BizPysch facilitates a training called “Thriving with the Holidays” and it’s one of my all time favorite workshops. Why? Because it focuses on strategies for having a reasonably happy holiday season. It gives people a chance to “pause” before all the holiday craziness sets in and decide what they want their holiday season to be about. Participants get to think about creating new holiday traditions in place of old traditions they would like to let go of. We debunk some of the holiday myths that are a set up for having an unhappy holiday season, and offer some great ideas for simple ways to take in the magic of the holidays. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Ask for help…and take it!
• Give yourself a present
• Contact an old friend and enjoy the gift of connection
• Let go of a problem that you can’t solve
• Hang a favorite holiday ornament in your car
• Compliment at least 3 people every day in December
• Give the gift of forgiveness and acceptance
• Record a cheerful greeting for your answering machine
• Give someone that “great” parking space and enjoy walking a little farther in the cool air
• Wear a pair of outrageous holiday socks
• Learn to say “Happy Holidays” in several languages
• Give someone who is discouraged the gift of encouragement

So, whether you celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, or another holiday during December, best wishes for a reasonably happy holiday season!

Marcia Kent
President, BizPsych

Holiday Depression and Stress

Visit our Website Past Newsletters Holiday Depression and Stress December 6, 2011   This past weekend my parents took off to see the bright lights of Las Vegas and I took my brothers to see the freezing cold Parade of Lights. I must say it was wonderful having the weekend with the young ones. Even though we could hardly feel our toes, they were determined to get the final glimpse of the parade…Santa Clause himself. My brothers are now 10 and 12 and I’m not sure what they “know,” but I wouldn’t even ask. The joy of the holidays is seeing it through a child’s eyes and, honestly, I don’t want to ruin that for myself! Their eyes still grew to the size of quarters when Santa waved down from his sleigh; that’s enough for me. The next day we braved the mall hoping to find gifts for our parents. Exhausted and out of luck we left the mall and sat in the car deciding where to go next. From the back seat my youngest brother excitedly stated, “Sis, only 21 days until Christmas!” And there it was…the difference between the holidays for a child and for an adult. He was counting down with joy and happiness in his voice and I was counting down with fear in mine. With a blank stare on my face, I sighed, “Oh my gosh, only 21 days ‘til Christmas.” I know it’s all worth it; all the to-do lists, all the trips to the store, and all the STRESS. It’s still important to take a step back and keep in mind what the holidays are all about, togetherness, and those quarter-sized eyes. Read more on this topic here… Britney Kirsch Account Manager

Caregiving: Recognizing Burnout

Visit our Website Past Newsletters Caregiving: Recognizing Burnout November 29, 2011 When I was in college, my Mom was still raising two of my brothers. At the time, Brent was a toddler and Brad was a baby. They were only 17 months apart so this was her full-time job. Whenever we talked, I could hear her exhaustion on the other end of the line. I remember one conversation in particular because it made me realize how consuming it can be to take care of someone all day.We were talking about how she needed a break and could hardly find time to make it to the grocery store. She was telling me how she had finally called a babysitter to come watch the boys so she could run to the store in peace. “When the babysitter arrived, I didn’t want to leave,” she said as if she surprised herself. “I was just so excited to have an actual conversation with someone.” I looked at being a caretaker much differently that day and recognized the toll it can take on you when someone needs you for most of the daily routine. Something as simple as an adult conversation made her day easier. Whether you’re taking care of a 2 year-old or a 92 year-old, it is so important that you find time for yourself. Read more on this topic here…
Britney Kirsch Account Manager